ON THE COMPOSITION OF SOILS, &C. 199 



*' lands there, that such grounds as had been 

 " long cultivated, were so much exhausted, as 

 *' to be worse than the generaUty of ground in 

 " this country. Here then we have an example 

 " of one species of poor soil, namely, one that 

 '* has been formerly very rich, but has been 

 *' deprived by repeated cropping, of the greatest 

 " part of vegetable food it contained. The 

 " farmer who is in possession of such ground, 

 ** would no doubt willingly restore it to its 

 *' former state ; the present question is, wliat 

 *' must be done in order to obtain this end ? 

 *' We have mentioned several kinds of manures, 

 " which long practice has recommended as ser- 

 " viceablefor improving ground. We shall sup- 

 *' pose the farmer tries lime or chalk ; for, as has 

 *' been seen, their operations upon the soil must 

 " be precisely the same. This substance being 

 *" of a septic nature, will act uplon such parts of 

 " the soil as g-re not putrefied or but imperfectly 

 **so; in consequence of which, the farmer will 

 ** reap a better crop than formerly. The sep- 

 *' tic nature of the lime is not altered hy any 

 " length of time. In ploughing the ground the 

 " lime is more and more perfectly mixed with 

 *' it, and gradually exerts "its power on every 

 *< putrescible matter it touches. As long as 

 ** any mattej- of this kind remains, the farmer 



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